Faced with the blackened heroine, they actually stopped time

"You know I'm awake, right?"

Once you open your mouth, you are dead.

68: Retreat to advance?

Is Asagiri Ran a gentle person?

Maybe, but she would never show it. Or rather, she would not show the softest corners of her heart yet.

In order to cover up these things, they may even be turned into sharper thorns.

It's like a hedgehog, with a back full of thorns just to protect its soft belly.

So when Oreki Gen at this site wanted to say something, she would leave Oreki Gen with no room for maneuver as soon as she opened her mouth.

It was not that she was intentionally cruel to the boy, but she wished she could be more decisive. She always hoped that she was firm and could not be destroyed.

Not controlled by any emotions.

So the girl tried to checkmate as soon as she opened her mouth, making the game of chess become a dead end before it even started, with nothing left to do.

The wind blew through her hair, and Oreki Xian clearly saw her eyes looking at him.

Trying to be calm, trying to be peaceful, but with a look of struggle in his eyes.

The boy stood there, just looking at her.

"Do you want me to know that?"

Asagiri's eyes shifted for a moment, but only for a moment before quickly returning to the boy's face.

It's like the tip of your pen that hesitates slightly when you are answering multiple-choice questions.

Putting a check mark at a certain position will give you a completely different score.

"It has nothing to do with whether I want it or not... You don't need to tell me anything about this matter, because it's your business."

Her voice was very soft, but within this soft voice, it revealed the touch of an ice knife scraping across the face.

Cold and painful.

It was as if something was going to be cut and torn into pieces.

The boy's expression was gentle, without any disappointment.

"Sorry to bother you."

He said so.

Asagiri Sorrow looked at Oreki Gen, then turned around stiffly.

"Don't worry, this won't happen again."

"why?"

"Because you and I are not from the same world."

She said this and then took a step forward.

Even the wind could not stop her steps; it lingered around her toes and then quickly dissipated.

She didn't know why she said such words, but... maybe it was necessary.

Yes, it is necessary.

They are the same kind of people, but I am not.

Her world has too many persistences, too many bottom lines and principles, and too many things she is unwilling to admit.

And what about Sakuraba Mitsuki?

She has unlimited wealth, unparalleled power, the envy and praise of everyone, and more importantly, she has him.

Maybe Asagiri Ran wouldn't feel it when they kissed.

Maybe she wouldn't feel that way when they were chatting.

But last night, when she saw that scene, she truly felt so.

It doesn't count as a forcible separation from his own world, right? Because he wasn't in his own world to begin with, he just passed through it for a short while.

Left some traces.

Compared to my own small, self-enclosed, unattractive and even cold world.

Isn't her world brighter?

What's more...

We were just friends.

Facing the wind, with her hair blown away, her pretty face contained a stubbornness that the boy could not see.

so.

Not a world, just a brief stop.

There is no need to continue.

Realize that everyone will only flash by in your life for a moment, recognize that you are a person who everyone will hate if you analyze your essence, and you are also a person who hates everyone equally.

Her world remained the same, without any change.

It's a cruel reality.

He's so smart that he should be able to understand what I say and disappear soon... before any more stories happen.

But the next moment, she heard footsteps approaching.

She was stunned for a moment, but didn't stop until she heard a sound behind her.

"I admit you are right, but everyone is a world."

She controlled her body, resisted the urge to look back, and forced herself to move forward. Why did the wind in this season hurt so much on her face?

"You know that's not what I'm talking about... Never mind, if you want to play dumb, that's fine."

She was not going to go along with the boy's usual tactics.

In fact, I don’t want to indulge myself in a seemingly beautiful fairy tale.

Because this story may not have been written for me at all. I just happened to pass by and heard it.

Oreki Gen walked calmly behind her. No matter how fast she walked, he could always keep up steadily.

"I'm not playing dumb, this is what I really think. Of course, I know you must be very angry now, but it doesn't matter, just think of me as someone passing by, and I will disappear when I reach your apartment door."

The girl bit her lip.

"Why should I be angry? No, of course I can be angry. It's an offense to me in front of me. Anyone would think so, right?"

"I can apologize for this, but you know, it's not a choice I can interfere with."

"So you're going to shirk all responsibility?"

"Then what is my responsibility and why is it my responsibility, can Asagiri-san tell me?"

Listen to what the other person says.

Asagiri became furious.

The pace was getting faster and faster, so fast that I could hardly hold on.

"Why should I tell you? Anyway, it has nothing to do with me anymore. I won't appear in front of you again."

"Are you going to transfer schools?"

"Transferring schools for you? Impossible."

"Then there is still a possibility of meeting."

"But I can choose not to have any communication. Oreki Gen, stop talking nonsense. I'm here."

She was finally able to stop.

Because we have arrived at the door of the apartment.

It seems that no matter how hard you try to avoid something, there is always an end waiting for everyone.

She looked at Oreki Gen, her eyes already filled with dissatisfaction and accumulated anger.

Oreki Gen just looked at her and smiled easily.

"Then go back and rest. I'm going back too."

Asagiri Ran thought that the other party would say more, and would use his almost rogue eloquence to say something that would make her emotions fluctuate.

But he didn't.

He just smiled easily in such a wind.

He smiles beautifully and is still that charming and unique boy.

He just waved at himself.

Then he turned around and walked towards the street that belonged to him.

He didn't even make excuses, nor distort the facts, nor did he try to convince himself of anything.

Just left.

Asagiri Ran thought quickly.

Perhaps this is the end of their story. Often a grand farewell is not the final ending.

Most of the farewells between two people in the world take place in such a simple atmosphere, as if the parties involved would never think that it would be the last time they spoke or saw each other.

Then regret later why you didn’t say more.

Yes... this is normal.

After all, in his eyes, Sakuraba Mitsuki is definitely more important than himself.

So, this is probably the end of the story.

It ends so dully, and there will never be any intersection again. When graduation day comes, even the faces will gradually blur in the memory.

I should have thought of it earlier.

Everyone is the same, everyone is the same...

But why.

Why does the wind hurt your eyes so much?

She blinked into the wind.

Determined, not looking back, even if it was stubborn... he walked towards the corridor without hesitation.

This time, he won't rush in again.

She really didn't look back.

The next two days were quiet, too quiet.

Oreki Gen was doing his own thing, attending classes as calmly as usual, and working part-time to earn some pocket money when he needed to, even though he had no place to spend the money when he was with Sakuraba Mizuki.

I still run into Shota Matsuyama who greets me at the door of the shoe cabinet.

He would still joke all the way to the classroom.

I would still occasionally see Asagiri Ran's face, but our eyes didn't even meet, as if they were like a long river that quickly flowed in different directions after a brief encounter.

Of course, in this relaxed and dull daily life, the boy still insisted on completing the dubbing work.

Even if the sense of déjà vu becomes stronger as you go back.

The further you go in the story, the more shameful it becomes.

"It's finally over..."

Oreki Gen put down the script and let out a long sigh.